South Dakota Masonry is a frontier story from start to finish. The first lodges in what was then Dakota Territory were chartered out of neighboring jurisdictions, mostly Iowa and Minnesota, beginning in the late 1860s and 1870s as gold prospectors, ranchers, railroad workers, and homesteaders pushed into the region. The Black Hills gold rush of 1874-1876 brought a flood of settlers into the western part of the territory, and lodges followed almost immediately. Cheyenne River, Yankton, and Deadwood all had active lodges by the late 1870s.

The Grand Lodge of the Territory of Dakota was constituted in 1875 to govern lodges in both halves of what would later become two separate states. When Dakota Territory was split into North Dakota and South Dakota at statehood in November 1889, the Grand Lodge was likewise divided. The Grand Lodge of South Dakota retained the bulk of the original constituent lodges, which were concentrated in the southern half of the territory. Early South Dakota Masonry was shaped by the harsh frontier environment: lodges met in the back rooms of stores, in saloons before saloons opened for the day, and in church halls before they had buildings of their own.

The early 20th century saw the construction of substantial Masonic temples in Sioux Falls, Pierre, Aberdeen, and Rapid City, several of which still stand. Membership grew steadily through the early 20th century, peaked around the 1950s and 1960s, and has gently declined since then in line with national trends. Today's Grand Lodge of South Dakota maintains its headquarters in Sioux Falls and continues a tradition that's now approaching 150 years.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in South Dakota

Lawrence Lodge No. 5 in Deadwood is one of the most famous and storied lodges in South Dakota and arguably the entire western Masonic tradition. Chartered in 1877 during the height of the Black Hills gold rush, the lodge counted among its early members or visitors several legendary figures of the Wild West era. Wild Bill Hickok was reputedly a Mason (though the records of his original mother lodge are debated), and Deadwood's lodge was a regular meeting place for the area's miners, marshals, and merchants.

Lawrence Lodge still meets in Deadwood today and operates from a historic building in the town's national-historic-landmark district. Yankton Lodge No. 9, in the original territorial capital, dates to the early 1870s and is one of the oldest continuously operating lodges in the state. Silver Star Lodge No.

4 in Vermillion, home to the University of South Dakota, has roots in the early 1870s. Minnehaha Lodge No. 5 in Sioux Falls was an early urban lodge that has long served as a flagship of South Dakota Masonry. Pierre Lodge No.

27, in the state capital, has roots in the late 1870s. Aberdeen Lodge No. 38 served the railroad and farming communities of the northeastern corner of the state. Rapid City Lodge No.

25, founded in the late 19th century, became the major urban lodge of the western half of the state once Rapid City emerged as the regional hub. Each of these lodges sits at a different point on the South Dakota frontier-to-statehood arc.

South Dakota Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota oversees approximately 75 to 85 active constituent lodges, organized into around 8 to 10 districts. Total membership currently sits in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 Master Masons, making South Dakota one of the smaller Grand Lodges in the United States, though that reflects the state's sparse population more than any unusual dynamic.

Lodge density is highest in the Sioux Falls metro, the Rapid City area, and along the I-29 corridor through eastern South Dakota. Many small-town lodges in places like Mitchell, Watertown, Brookings, and Aberdeen continue to be central civic institutions. The Grand Lodge meets annually each June in Mitchell or Sioux Falls, and it runs a charitable foundation that supports scholarships and the Masonic Service Bureau. The Grand Lodge website at mastermason.com/sdmason maintains lodge directories and contact information.

How to Become a Freemason in South Dakota

Becoming a Mason in South Dakota follows the same general process used across U.S. jurisdictions. The first step is finding a lodge in your area through the Grand Lodge website. South Dakota is a 2B1ASK1 jurisdiction, meaning you need to ask to join.

After making contact with a lodge, you'll typically attend an open event or meet members socially before formally petitioning. South Dakota requires two current Master Masons of the lodge to sign your petition as recommenders. Once submitted, the petition is read at a stated communication, and an investigation committee of three Master Masons is appointed to interview you, your spouse if you're married, and sometimes other character references. Their report is presented at the next meeting, and the lodge votes by secret ballot.

A single black ball rejects the petition. Initiation fees in South Dakota generally fall between $150 and $300 for the three degrees combined, with annual dues typically between $75 and $150. After acceptance, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice degree, then progress through Fellow Craft and Master Mason over a period of weeks to months. South Dakota requires proficiency demonstrations between degrees, where you recite portions of the previous degree's catechism.

Given the rural nature of much of the state, candidates sometimes drive considerable distances for degree work, and lodges sometimes coordinate joint degree conferrals.

Notable South Dakota Freemasons in History

Seth Bullock, the legendary lawman of Deadwood and later a U.S. Marshal and friend of Theodore Roosevelt, was a member of Lawrence Lodge No. 5 in Deadwood. His Masonic affiliation is well documented and he remained active in the lodge for decades.

Sol Star, Bullock's longtime business partner and the longtime mayor of Deadwood, was also a member of Lawrence Lodge and a fixture of the early Deadwood civic establishment. Charles Bryant, an early territorial governor and lawyer, was a Mason in Yankton during the territorial period. Peter Norbeck, the South Dakota governor and U.S. Senator who was central to the creation of Mount Rushmore and a major conservation figure, was a Mason and remained active through his federal career.

Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore itself, was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and brought elements of his Masonic worldview into the symbolism and imagery of the monument. George S. Mickelson, the longtime South Dakota governor whose 1993 plane crash shocked the state, was a Mason. George McGovern, the 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, U.S.

Senator from South Dakota, and World War II bomber pilot, had family Masonic ties through Mitchell-area lodges. Karl Mundt, the long-tenured U.S. Senator from South Dakota during the mid-20th century, was a Mason in Madison. The Black Hills mining era, the Wild West marshal tradition, and 20th-century South Dakota political life all run through Masonic lodge rolls in the state.

Records and proceedings preserved by the Grand Lodge in Sioux Falls document many of these affiliations in detail.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in South Dakota

Prince Hall Masonry in South Dakota is small in absolute numbers, reflecting the state's overall demographics, but it has a continuous history. African American Masonic activity in the territory dates to the late 19th century, with informal meetings and travel-charter affiliations connecting South Dakota Black Masons to Prince Hall lodges in Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. South Dakota's Prince Hall Masons have historically operated under the jurisdiction of neighboring Prince Hall Grand Lodges rather than maintaining a freestanding Grand Lodge of their own, given the state's small Black population. Currently, Prince Hall lodges in South Dakota fall under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Minnesota or other neighboring states depending on the specific lodge.

Mainstream-Prince Hall recognition between the Grand Lodge of South Dakota and the relevant Prince Hall Grand Lodges has been formalized for several decades, with inter-visitation permitted under standard protocols. South Dakota was actually one of the earlier states in the region to extend Prince Hall recognition. Notable Black Masons with South Dakota connections have generally been military service members stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base or at the former military installations, along with educators and ministers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The Prince Hall presence is modest but meaningful within the broader context of American Prince Hall history.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in South Dakota

How many Masonic lodges are in South Dakota?

The Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota oversees approximately 75 to 85 active constituent lodges. Add to that a small number of Prince Hall lodges operating under neighboring Prince Hall Grand Lodge jurisdictions, and the active total is in the high 70s to mid 80s.

Was Wild Bill Hickok a Freemason?

Wild Bill Hickok's Masonic membership has been the subject of debate among historians for over a century. Some sources claim he was raised in a lodge before coming west, but Lawrence Lodge No. 5 in Deadwood, where he was killed in 1876, has long been associated with his memory and includes him in its historical narrative.

What is the oldest Masonic lodge in South Dakota?

Lawrence Lodge No. 5 in Deadwood, chartered in 1877, and Yankton Lodge No. 9 in Yankton, with roots in the early 1870s, are among the oldest continuously operating lodges. Several other lodges in eastern South Dakota also date from the territorial era.

When was the Grand Lodge of South Dakota founded?

The Grand Lodge of the Territory of Dakota was constituted in 1875 and was split into North Dakota and South Dakota Grand Lodges at statehood in 1889. The Grand Lodge of South Dakota retained the bulk of the original constituent lodges from the southern half of the territory.

Where is the Grand Lodge of South Dakota located?

The Grand Lodge of South Dakota is headquartered in Sioux Falls. The Annual Communication is held each June, alternating between Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and other locations depending on the year.